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At a Glance
- Meaning
- The pool
- Origin
- Old French (Norman place name/surname)
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- luh-MAR
Lamar (pronounced luh-MAR) traces back to Old French, where it started as a Norman place name and surname. You'll often see it glossed online as meaning 'of the sea,' but that's not quite right — the documented root is 'la mare,' meaning 'the pool' or 'pond.' It's a name with real history behind it, even if that history is more humble than the sea-themed version suggests.
Meaning & Origin of Lamar
Meaning: The pool.
Origin: Old French (Norman place name/surname).
A common claim: Often glossed on baby-name sites as meaning 'of the sea' or 'the sea.' Actually: Not quite — the documented root is Old French 'la mare' ('the pool/pond'), a Norman place name, not a word for 'the sea.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Lamar
luh-MARIPA /ləˈmɑːr/
Popularity of Lamar
Lamar peaked in 1980 at #314, when 611 baby boys were given the name. By 2024 it had fallen to #1515, with just 117 boys named Lamar that year.
Names Like Lamar
These names share Lamar’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Lamar mean?
The pool. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Lamar?
Lamar is pronounced luh-MAR (IPA: /ləˈmɑːr/).
Is Lamar a popular name right now?
Lamar peaked at #314 in 1980 and is ranked #1515 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1882–2024.)
Make Lamar Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lamar, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Lamar? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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